Rudd takes election message to toddlers

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd never misses an opportunity to spruik Labor values, even if it is to an audience of toddlers.

"We've got to build things up, haven't we?" he told a group of young children playing with Lego pieces at a childcare centre in Sydney's southeast on Monday.

"We're making sure we are building and building for our future."

Mr Rudd was campaigning in the marginal Labor seat of Kingsford Smith, held by former Midnight Oil frontman and retiring MP Peter Garrett on a margin of 5.2 per cent.

After reading Alfie to the children and helping them put together a jigsaw puzzle, Mr Rudd met a couple and their two-year-old daughter, hand-picked by Labor to chat with the prime minister.

"Ni hao!" Mr Rudd, who's fluent in Mandarin, said to the young family.

The couple are originally from China and claim Labor's paid parental leave scheme - offering a mum 18 weeks leave paid at the national minimum wage - had convinced them to stay in Australia after the birth of their first child.